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Satisfactory Academic Progress

Federal, state, and institutional regulations require students receiving financial aid to maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP). Financial aid includes, but is not limited to, the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Work Study, all North Carolina Community College grant programs, and all institutional aid programs. The institution’s Satisfactory Academic Progress procedure must include two major components: 1) a qualitative measure and 2) a quantitative measure (comprised of progression rate, maximum timeframe, and developmental coursework). These components are explained below. Individual programs may have additional or varying requirements as stipulated by the guidelines of that program. Both the qualitative and quantitative standards are cumulative and include all periods of enrollment at ICC, even those for which the student did not receive financial aid funds.

Qualitative Measure

A student receiving financial aid at Isothermal Community College (ICC) must maintain a financial aid cumulative grade point average (FA-GPA) at or above a 2.00. The cumulative FA-GPA will be evaluated at the end of each semester. Any student having a cumulative FA-GPA that is less than 2.00 shall be placed on financial aid warning during the next term they attend, consecutive or otherwise. The student will be notified of his/her warning status in writing by the Financial Aid Office and may receive financial aid during the warning term of enrollment. If the student’s cumulative FA-GPA does not come up to the 2.00 requirement by the end of the warning term, he/she will be placed on financial aid suspension and all aid will be terminated until he/she earns the minimum required cumulative FA-GPA.

Please note the following conditions:

  • For the qualitative measure, the FA-GPA will be cumulative and all grades, including academic development courses, for classes in which the student was enrolled as of the Pell Recalculation Date (full term census date) of each academic term will be counted. 
  • Cumulative FA-GPA is computed by dividing the total number of quality points earned by the total credit hours attempted for which the student received grades where the first letter is one of the following: A, B, C, D, F, I, or R. These grades could be followed by an *, ., or %, but that has no effect on the actual grade. No quality points are earned for grades of F, R, or I. For financial aid purposes, an incomplete grade (I) is treated as a failing grade until changed to a passing grade.
  • Classes in which the student has been listed as a “No Show” have no grade value and therefore will not be included in the FA-GPA calculation.

Quantitative Measures

1. Maximum Timeframe

Any student receiving financial aid will have a maximum timeframe in which he/she is expected to complete1 a program of study. Regulations require that the timeframe be no more than 150% of the established length of the program. At ICC, the 150% timeframe will be measured in terms of credit hours attempted.2  Once the student has attempted 150%, or it has been determined that they cannot complete their program within the 150% timeframe, he/she is no longer eligible for financial aid at ICC. Academic development courses are excluded from this calculation.

Example: If a program requires 60 credit hours to complete, then a student must complete their program within 90 attempted credit (60 x 150% = 90).

In order for a program to be considered complete the student must complete all required hours for the program, submit an application for graduation, and have that application approved by the Registrar’s Office.

2 For the quantitative measure, credit hours attempted will be cumulative and all hours for which the student was enrolled as of the Pell Recalculation Date (census date) of each academic term and received a grade where the first letter is one of the following: A, B, C, D, F, I, W, W# or R will be counted. 

2. Progression Rate

Students are also required to successfully complete 67% of the cumulative credit hours attempted. Grades of A, B, C, D, CE, and CR will be counted as hours attempted and successfully completed. Grades of F, I, W, and R will not count as hours successfully completed, but will count as hours attempted. Grades of NS (no show) and Y (audit) will not be counted as attempted hours or hours successfully completed. Academic development courses are excluded from this calculation. 

Quantitative progress will be evaluated at the end of each term. Any student not successfully completing 67% of the cumulative credit hours attempted shall be placed on financial aid warning during the next term they attend, consecutive or otherwise. The student will be notified of his/her warning status in writing by the Financial Aid Office and may receive financial aid during the warning term of enrollment. If the student is not back within acceptable standards by the end of the warning term, he/she will be placed on financial aid suspension and all aid will be terminated until he/she has successfully completed 67% of the classes being attempted.

Example: 13 cumulative credit hours attempted and the student completed only 9 credit hours. Divide the numbers of hours successfully completed by the total number of hours attempted. I.e. 9/13 = .692 x 100 = 69.2% completion rate.

3. Academic Development Coursework

Students who are required to take academic development courses, as determined by placement testing, may receive financial aid for up to 30 attempted credit hours of academic development course work. Once a student has attempted the maximum 30 credit hours, academic development credit hours will no longer be included when calculating the student’s enrollment status. Grades earned in academic development courses will be included in calculating the financial aid grade point average for financial aid purposes. Academic development course work is not included in the Maximum Timeframe or Progression calculation.   Sometimes prerequisites can count as remedial course work if it is required for the student's program of study and is not included in any other section on the program evaluation.

Effects of Previous Credits

  1. Transfer Students – any student transferring from another college who has no previous ICC credit will be considered to be making satisfactory progress at the time of his/her enrollment. Credit hours accepted for transfer will be considered hours attempted and hours successfully completed. Transfer credit hours will be counted in the students' maximum timeframe.
  2. ICC Returning Students – returning students will have their cumulative FA-GPA carried forward, subject to the institutional policy regarding transfer of credit within the institution. All quarter hours attempted will be converted to semester hours and carried forward. This procedure is in accordance with federal regulations stating that satisfactory academic progress standards must cover all periods of the student’s enrollment regardless of whether they received financial assistance during those periods.
  3. ICC Graduates – if a student graduates from a program at ICC and desires to pursue another degree, that student will assume the maximum time frame of the new program. All previously attempted credit hours will be included.

Procedure for Reinstatement of Financial Aid

Students who have had their aid terminated may reestablish eligibility for financial aid in one of two ways: 1) by enrolling in subsequent semester(s) at his/her own expense until satisfactory academic progress is achieved, or 2) by the appeals process, if approved (see below).

Procedure to Appeal Financial Aid Suspension or Maximum Timeframe

Appealing a Financial Aid Suspension or Max Timeframe Status

To appeal a suspension of financial aid, a student must provide evidence of mitigating circumstances. These are defined as situations beyond the student’s control that negatively impacted academic performance. Examples include, but are not limited to:

  • Serious illness or injury of the student
  • Death of an immediate family member (spouse, child, sibling, or parent)
  • Significant personal trauma
  • Unusual circumstances causing undue hardship

Required Documentation

Students must submit documentation that clearly supports the existence of the mitigating circumstances. Additionally, the student must demonstrate that the issue has been resolved and will no longer interfere with academic progress.

Academic Review

The appeal process includes a thorough review of the student’s academic history, including prior performance and withdrawal rate.

How to Submit an Appeal

To appeal financial aid suspension or maximum timeframe status, students must:

  1. Complete the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal Form
  2. Submit the form to the Financial Aid Office
  3. Include all supporting documentation and a copy of your program evaluation

Deadlines

Appeal submission deadlines for each semester are listed on the Dates and Deadlines page. Appeals received after the posted deadline will be reviewed at the end of the term, for consideration in the following semester.

Process to review Financial Aid Suspension or Maximum Timeframe

Financial Aid Suspension Appeals

The Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal form and supporting documents will be reviewed to determine if valid mitigating circumstances existed. The student’s transcript and academic history will be considered to assess eligibility for continued aid.

If approved, the student will be placed on financial aid probation with an academic plan outlining requirements. These requirements include maintaining at least a 2.25 TERM GPA and completing at least 75% of enrolled courses each semester. If the student doesn’t meet these requirements, aid will be terminated.

Students may submit another appeal only if new mitigating circumstances arise, with updated documentation.

Maximum Timeframe (MTF) Appeals

The MTF Appeal form, supporting documents, and a program evaluation will be reviewed to determine if the student can finish their program within a reasonable timeframe.

If approved, the student will be given a set period to complete their degree while receiving aid (if otherwise eligible). Failure to finish within that time will result in termination of aid.

Students may submit another MTF appeal only with new mitigating circumstances and documentation. A maximum of two MTF appeals is allowed for Federal Pell and State grant programs. If a student submits more than two appeals, only the Powers Promise Scholarship will be considered, provided the student meets the eligibility requirements.

These procedures are subject to change based on institutional, state, and federal guidelines.